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In a recent article, Reynolds and Kiely expressed the wish that this bestselling book go out of print… due to irrelevancy. All American Boys is a gripping story about two young men, one white, one Black, and their encounters with the police. Cowritten by a Black and a white author who are close friends, the novel does an especially good job of elucidating how the characters arrive at the assumptions and prejudices that drive their actions, good and bad. Challenged for being anti-law enforcement, All American Boys is really pro-dialogue and drives home our need to address systemic racism. So, not irrelevant yet, but certainly a step on the path to getting us there.

Anaya’s classic novel explores the relationship between traditional Mexican spirituality and Latin American Catholicism through the experiences of Antonio, who is torn between his mother’s wish for him to become a priest, his father’s desire for him to become a cowboy, and Ultima, the traditional healer who lives with his family and shows Antonio the rich spiritual practices of his ancestors. Anaya’s narrative blend of Judeo-Christian superstition and magical realism is intoxicating, as are the author’s descriptions of the New Mexican desert. Banned for profanity and violence, Bless Me, Ultima is a tender and lyrical exploration of the sacred.

Pecola, the young Black girl at the center of Morrison’s debut novel, is the victim of an incestuous rape, a horrific act that has prompted many schools and communities to challenge or ban the novel. But while The Bluest Eye is frank and unsparing in its depictions of abuse, at its core it is an exploration of Black female self-hatred and our society’s overwhelming equation of whiteness with beauty. Because Pecola feels ugly, she thinks she deserves to be treated badly by her family and society at large; that an 11-year-old child should find her own humanity suspect for lack of blue eyes and blonde hair is both horrible and, in America, ubiquitous. Focusing only on the physical violence in The Bluest Eye prevents readers — typically high school students — from comprehending the psychological violence many Black Americans experience, as well as the myriad connections between societal messaging and emotional and physical well-being.

This wonderfully written story about a transgender child struggling to come out to her family, friends, and school community is stunning in its honesty and gentleness, communicating the complexity of gender identity to an elementary and middle school audience without softening the difficulties or turning its characters into stereotypes.

In this riveting YA novel inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter movement, 16-year-old Starr witnesses the police murder of her childhood friend. The Hate U Give follows Starr as she navigates life in the aftermath: whether to cooperate with the police investigation into the shooting; navigating the culture of her mostly white school; deciding to speak out; and the more mundane, but no less all-encompassing, confusion of adolescence. Thomas writes with clarity, knowledge, and empathy about police violence, systemic racism, and community activism in this stunning debut.

The House of Spirits is an intergenerational family saga that closely parallels the dramatic and oppressive politics of Allende’s native Chile. Full of magical realism and wit, the title refers both to the female ghosts who dominate the house of Senator Esteban Trueba, and the spirit of revolution that motivates his beloved granddaughter to fight for an end to dictatorship. Challenged for scenes involving sex and intoxicants, The House of Spirits won’t shock any teenagers, but it offers a (fictionalized) introduction to Chilean history, and to the Latin American narrative form of magical realism, that is sure to engage them.

Kaffir Boy is Mathabane’s autobiographical account of growing up under Apartheid. A Black South African, Mathabane was raised in abject poverty by a drunken father and a mother determined to see her children educated and elevated. Kaffir Boy describes the state violence and insecurity of township life, as well as the mentors and scholarship that enabled Mathabane to attend college in the U.S. Kaffir Boy has been challenged for sexual content and “racial insensitivity,” but is widely acclaimed as a lyrical and precise portrait of life under a racist regime.

The Kite Runner is frequently challenged for sexual violence and homosexuality, as well as for promoting Islam and inciting terrorism. Written from the perspective of Amir, a wealthy child who befriends the son of his father’s servant (and subsequently betrays him), The Kite Runner explores social and ethnic divisions in Afghanistan and the political instability introduced by the Taliban and foreign powers. Amir’s retrospective ruminations on privilege, Afghani history, and our ethical obligations to others make for an engaging and thought-provoking read.

This chapter book edition of Yousafzai’s I Am Malala uses simple, encouraging language to describe Malala’s determination to go to school despite the Taliban’s ban on female education. Written to emphasize the value of advocating for oneself and other marginalized people, especially women and girls, Malala has been challenged locally for referencing violence when describing the Taliban’s attempt to assassinate Malala. Although it is upsetting to acknowledge the existence of violence and oppression, Nobel Peace Prize winner Yousafzai teaches young readers that they have the right to fight for safety and equality.

Another locally challenged book, The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James delves into friendship, adolescence, and same-sex attraction. Twelve-year-old Sunny has just received a heart transplant and is ready for a host of adventures, including making a new best friend, kissing a boy, and getting acquainted with her mother, a recovering alcoholic who has not been a part of her life. Surprised by her desire to kiss her new best friend — a girl — and worried that her mixed feelings about love and her mom derive from her heart donor, Sunny’s path to self-knowledge and acceptance is sweet and sympathetic.

Taylor’s classic coming-of-age novel has been challenged for depicting racism and using racial slurs. Given that Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is about a young girl’s experiences with organized violence against Black Americans, and the way her family’s farmland provides them with a sense of place and pride, these challenges are particularly specious. Although the novel is set in 1933 Mississippi, modern readers will be both excited by the changes wrought by the civil rights movement and perturbed by how little has changed in regards to America’s racial dynamic.